PBM out to end WSBK tenure on a high

12 October 2011

Paul Bird says he is 'demanding even more effort than normal' at Portimao this weekend as his eponymous team gets ready for its final World Superbike Championship appearance.

Former British Superbike Champions PBM have been Kawasaki's partner in WSBK since 2009, but it is a relationship that will conclude in Portugal following the confirmation last month that the manufacturer would not be renewing its contract.

Having headed up the development of the new Kawasaki ZX-10R in 2011, leading to the manufacturer's first WSBK victory in five years at the Nurburgring, Bird says he is pleased with the hard work and effort shown by his team since it debuted in 2008 as a privateer Honda operation.

With a return to BSB looming, as well as a rumoured switch to MotoGP as a CRT, Bird has called on riders Tom Sykes and Joan Lascorz to send PBM out on a high.

"This weekend is the last one we will be involved in World Superbikes so I am demanding even more effort than normal so we can go out in style. There is no reason why we can't be challenging all weekend and hopefully Tom and Joan can deliver to reward the team for their hard work over the three years we have been involved with Kawasaki.

“The ZX-10R is a fantastic machine and I'm proud of what we have done in giving Kawasaki their most successful season in years and we hope to work together in future."

Though Kawasaki has signalled its intentions to take greater control of its WSBK operation in 2012, its front-running Supersport operation, Provec Motocard.com, is expected to take over from PBM in terms of day-to-day running.